This invention relates to an apparatus for polishing a metal electrolytic refining cathode plate.
Since cathode plates used in a metal electrolytic refinery are adversely affected on their surfaces by acids, metallic ions, halogens and the like during their operations, their surfaces need to be polished periodically.
It is most common that cathode plates of the kind mentioned above are polished after having been immersed for a predetermined time in an electrolytic bath, removed of metals deposited on the surfaces, and washed by water. In performing the above operations, a number of cathode plates are aligned with minimum spacing therebetween and transported simultaneously from an operational step to other steps, in order to meet the space provided in an electrolytic bath and a water bath and also in order to make the transportation of cathode plates easier. It should be noted also that cathode plates of this kind are fitted along their circumferential edges with stationary supporters which are made of dielectric materials and which prevent electrodepositions on front and back surfaces of the plates from joining together along the edges so as to make the stripping of the electrodepositions from the cathode plates easier. Conventionally, these stationary supporters are manually removed from the plates when the plates are polished, and they are refitted manually onto the plates after they have been polished. Sometimes, parts of these supporters are pivoted at a lateral upper side of the plates so as to be movable for achieving the automatic stripping of electrodepositions adjacently to the pivotal points of the plates.
Irrespective of whether such supporters are stationary or movable, the existence of the supporters interferes with polishing of the cathode plates.
Hence, it is an object of this invention to provide a polishing apparatus or system for metal electrolytic refining cathode plates, in which the plates are automatically polished while their stationary supporters are fitted to the plates, and in which the abrasion of the supporters during the polishing of the plates is avoided. In this invention, when the supporters are pivotally movable, they are shifted upwardly during the polishing of the cathode plates, so as to prevent the abrasion of the supporters.